The lives and stories of Oregon State University

Oregon State University Air Force ROTC Assistant Professor of Aerospace Studies, Capt., Mike Batchelor, has been named the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) Educator of the Year for 2008-2009.

The AETC Educator of the Year award recognizes individual faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to AETC’s education mission during the academic year of July 1 through June 30. An educator or faculty member is generally recognized as the subject matter expert who develops or teaches formal educational courses or composes research and educational publications.

Additionally, Batchelor was instrumental in transforming over 400 hours of summer field training from a garrison to expeditionary and airman’s manual based training experience, recognized as the most significant change to officer accession education in 60 years.

His student experiential education programs incorporated at Oregon State University that supported this award include two regional Air Force base visits, 10 guest speakers, over 50 students experiencing real and simulated military aircraft flights, embedding 80 students in real Air Force training exercises, establishing a model student leadership laboratory competency feedback process, and mentoring over 1500 volunteer hours of community relations and service projects.

Batchelor was selected among officer faculty members from 30 Air Force Educational Institutions. Commander of Air University, Lieutenant General Allen Peck, will present this award at a ceremony on Nov. 16 at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, in Montgomery Alabama.

Batchelor isn’t the only Oregon State person to be recognized by the Air Force ROTC this year. Earlier this year, Dennis Bennett of the OSU Center for Writing and Learning was selected and participated in the Air Force ROTC Distinguished Educator program which consists of approx 40 educators nationwide selected to participate in a four-day visit to learn more about the U.S. Air Force and the Air Force ROTC. He met with educators, received tours of the base and education facilities and interacted with cadets.

One Response to “Capt. Mike Batchelor named Educator of the Year”

Capt. Batchelor is an exceptional commandant, and has done so much for the AFROTC program here at OSU. It’s been a pleasure training under his leadership these last few years. We’re all looking forward to what he will continue to do in the future of his Air Force career.